


How To Save A Life

by ahunmaster



Series: Viking AU [6]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Vikings, Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blood, Blood and Injury, Bloodshed and his friends are green to this kind of bloodshed, Carnage - Freeform, Crying, Fighting, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, I really hoped I tagged everything, Long Shot, Massacre, Minor Character Death, OCs - Freeform, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Rescue, Self-Sacrifice, Survivor Guilt, Tough Decisions, Vikings, Violence, War, no that was not meant to be a pun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 13:33:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11692680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahunmaster/pseuds/ahunmaster
Summary: Nemesis Prime has already destroyed their village, but Bloodshed knew he would go for others.  He knew that the village with the woman he loved was close by.  Despite being told not to, he would not leave his love to be slaughtered by the madman and his tribe of monsters.But what he and his friends come across is nothing like what they've seen before...





	How To Save A Life

 

It was nothing like the battles he had been in before.  He had been a warrior for a while already, but all the times he had gone out and fought with Megatron and his fellow warriors, it had never been that brutal.  Yes, he had killed those who turned weapons against them and all, but this...

 

It was different then when he had been holding off Nemesis Prime's warriors when they had attacked their village.  He had only fought for so long before helping others escape.  He had not been around that long to see the after carnage of those they could not recover.

 

He was beginning to see why his father had told him to leave when he and a few others went back to retrieve their leader who had been in the heart of it.

 

With Nebula and Novabomb behind him, he gritted his teeth as they ran through the burning remains of Optimus Prime's village.  Dead warriors and their weapons laid scattered about.  But that wasn't the worse of it.  Normal men, woman, elderly... Primus, even children were amongst the dead warriors.  Nemesis wasn't simply conquering the village like they had done so many others...

 

He was committing a massacre.

 

Bloodshed knew his friends were as disturbed as he was.  They had all fought battles before.  But never this... never something as heinous as this.  This was more than earning money and taking out gangs of thieves and bandits across the land.  This was war.  Fuck, this was... war.

 

He had to keep his feet going.  He had to keep going.  He could hear the chaos up ahead.  And so far, he had not seen her among the dead.  There was still a chance.

 

There was still a chance Thornstriker was still alive.

 

They turned around the corner.  But they stopped at the sight before them.

 

It was absolute chaos.  What looked to be Optimus's warriors were trying to fight off Nemesis's warriors while everyone else tried to escape.  But the problem was that Nemesis's men weren't just fighting the warriors... they were just killing at random.  Anyone they were close to whether a normal person or a warrior.  It was just mindless slaughter.

 

Bloodshed couldn't move for a moment.  He had no idea what to do.  He wanted to charge in there and slaughter them.  Wanted to make them pay for their crimes.  But what if Thornstriker was in danger?  What if she was out there being killed?  What if-?

 

Screaming tore his thoughts apart as he looked in the direction of the screaming.  It was on the other side of some burning buildings.

 

"Help!  We can't stop them!  They're kill-"

 

The voice screaming suddenly stopped.  More screams and clashes came from the same direction when suddenly-

 

"GET AWAY!"

 

He knew that voice from anywhere.

 

"Hey, isn't that-?"

 

Bloodshed didn't stay around to let Nebula finish.  He bolted, causing his friends to have to run to after him as they dodged through burning wood and bodies.  He prayed that he would get there on time.  He prayed he could get to her be-

 

"Get back!  Get-"

 

A scream.

 

"Thornstriker!"

 

"Leave her alo-"

 

"Shut up!"

 

An elderly man screamed out, followed by a woman who pleaded for something.  But Bloodshed ignored them when he heard Thornstriker screaming again.  He couldn't - He couldn't let them-!

 

He turned the corner ready to fight.  The sight would have made him freeze under other circumstances.  Thornstriker on the ground with three men on top of her trying to rip her clothes off while two more had her grandparents pinned to the ground, the man bleeding from a cut to his shoulder.  He would have paused under any other circumstance...

 

But after seeing the carnage from before, Bloodshed didn't stop.  He charged forward, his sword drawn and cry deafening the air.  It would have made more sense to just simply charge and attack them by surprise, but he didn't care.  He wasn't going to let them hurt her.  He wasn't going to let them touch Thornstriker.  He was going to fucking kill them.  He was going to fucking kill them all!

 

His first blown struck the man closest to him, digging his sword deep into his shoulder blade and his neck.  The man barely let out a scream before he gurgled and collapsed.  The other had no time and was unable to draw his sword from his position over Thornstriker before Bloodshed brought his sword back up and swung it down, hollering the entire time his blade came up to when it struck the man's skull and dug deep into his head.  The force was enough that it broke the skull enough before sliding off to cut off a part of his head and striking the shoulder.

 

Just as he turned to face the third man who was standing up and drawing his sword, he heard the other two let go of the grandparents and draw their swords.  He felt Nebula and Novabomb pass him to take care of them.  He was already taking care of this one.

 

Pulling his sword out of the corpse still sitting up, he let it fall back as he stood to keep his body over Thornstriker who was still on the ground, her lower half pinned by the corpses of the two warriors who had tried to rape her.

 

"B-B-Bloodshed...?"

 

Her meek voice broke through to him, making him even more determined to kill this man in front of him.  The other's hands and sword was covered with blood and his armor below his rib cage was gone.  It looked to be on purpose.

 

Who knew how many innocent people he had slaughtered?  Or perhaps how many other women he had raped before he attempted to rape Thornstriker? It made bile rise in his throat as he gritted his teeth, watching the other grab his blade with both hands and bring it up, charging forward to strike him down like he had the man's comrades.

 

Fool.  That never worked when you didn't have the element of surprise.  And especially when you had purposely removed your protection there.

 

With no effort, he simply drew his sword up a bit before thrusting it forward, stabbing through the bare cloth and deep through the man's stomach.  The other gasped, blood spitting out.  Bloodshed was certain he had pierced right through the man's body, most likely severing his spine seeing his body begin to piss itself.

 

Good, he thought as he slowly twisted his blade, he could suffer.  He could suffer for what he had done.  He watched as the man screamed and sputter in agony, his entrails being twisted and cut by the turning metal inside of him.  He would have sit here and watched him until he died his last agonizing moments.

 

But he couldn't.  Not with the woman he loved behind him, whimpering and frightened at the sight.  Primus, what the hell was he doing acting like this in front of her?

 

Gritting his teeth harder, he threw the dying man to the side, taking deep breaths to control himself as he heard Nebula and Novabomb take care of the other two.  Once their corpses hit the ground too, he turned to his love.

 

She was still shaking.  Primus, he thought as he sheathed his sword and kneeled down to help her up, she was scared of him.  She had just seen him kill three men brutally in front of her.  He had never so much as gotten angry in front of her and-

 

"Bloodshed!"

 

He was caught off guard as she threw her arms around his neck.

 

"You saved me.  You saved me..."

 

Her voice broken, but still... Bloodshed's hands shook as they came up to hold her.  "I had to come... I had to make sure you were safe."

 

"I had heard rumors that Nemesis had destroyed your village.  I-I thought you had been killed!"

 

"No," he couldn't tell her everything, "No, we were able to get away."

 

She nodded as she cried.  But then she turned her head, "Grandpa!"

 

Thornstriker bolted from Bloodshed's arms, limping over to her grandparents as Novabomb helped up the old man.  "He'll be okay. The bleeding's stopped," Novabomb assured her as she kneeled to hug them.

 

Bloodshed watched them for only a moment before he turned to see the situation.  People were still running, but they were far away from the main group.  And there were still several warriors between them and Optimus's forces.  And there was no way Thornstriker's grandfather was going to be able to walk far with that wound.  And there was still the fact that Thornstriker looked to have a twisted ankle.

 

Shit, he thought, this wasn't a good situation.  He was the only one who could carry the old man without trouble and Novabomb was the only one of the two left who could carry Thornstriker.  It would leave Nebula as the only one to properly hold off the attackers and that still meant Thornstriker's grandmother would have to carry herself out of there.

 

The only logical choice would have to be for him to help the old man walk while Thornstriker and her grandmother walked out on their own, the latter helping his love walk.  At least this way, there would be two people to fight off attackers and if it came to shove, he could put the old man down to take care of something quickly.  It might-

 

"Die, bastards!"

 

"Hold them off!  Keep them back!"

 

He turned to look up the street to the sight of a several warriors moving their fight into their line of sight.  It looked as if the fighting from the other side had crossed over here.  That would help out a bit, they wouldn't have to get as far and one of them could help carry Thornstriker or the old man.

 

But they were having trouble holding off Nemesis's men.  If they died, they would have enemies on either side.

 

"Nova!  Nebula!  Help them out!"

 

"What?!"

 

"Are you insane?!" Nebula screamed, "You can't carry two injured people!"

 

"Don't worry, we'll join up with you!  Just make sure there's a clear path for us out of here!"

 

She growled, but followed his directions as she and Novabomb rushed to join the fighting.

 

"B-Bloodshed?"

 

"Sir, what-?"

 

"We need to get out of here," he told the trio, "Ma'am, help Thornstriker walk, I'll take your husband."

 

"But where-?"

 

"We'll stand a better chance running if we join up with your clan members over there.  Come on, let's get you up."

 

"Ahh!"

 

"Dear!"

 

"Bloodshed, Grandpa can't walk, he's hurt!"

 

"If we don't move now, we'll all be dead!  Now help me get him up-"

 

"Look out!"

 

He felt the blade slice into his shoulder.  Instinct caused him to move to the side, causing the blade to only slice his shoulder blade a bit.  He rolled to the side, ignoring the pain as his attacker struggled to get his sword back up.  Bloodshed was quicker, pulling out a small knife and stabbing the men in the neck, blood squirting out onto his face and arm before the man fell.

 

"Bloodshed!"

 

"Shit," he thought as he grimaced at the wound.  It wasn't much, but it would be difficult to fight properly with it.  Hopefully it wouldn't make carrying the old man harder-

 

"Bloodshed, hurry!"

 

He looked up to Nebula at the other end scream at him, still fighting off warriors before he turned back to where she was looking.  His eyes widened when he saw warriors heading towards them, running in their directions covered in blood and sword drawn and bloody.  Fuck, that must have been the main force.

 

"Bloodshed!"

 

He turned back to Thornstriker and her grandmother, who were helping her grandfather stand.  They were all barely standing, none capable of holding themselves up by themselves.  They had to go, but he couldn't carry them all.  And Nebula and Novabomb were still trying to hold off the warrior down by their escape route.  He could carry Thornstriker... and maybe one of the grandparents, but that would mean leaving one of them to die by the madmen's swords.

 

"Sir."

 

He turned to the older gentleman, who was staring at the chaos coming towards them.  He turned to look back where his friends were before he turned back to the warrior.  "Leave me."

 

"What-?"

 

"Grandpa?!"

 

"Dear, what are you-?!"

 

"I... don't think I'll survive this wound.  I'm... too old and... too worn out.  If the wound doesn't kill me, then the winter will," he turned to his granddaughter, "Thornstriker, take your grandmother and run."

 

"Grandpa, we can't leave you!"

 

"I'm not leaving without you!"

 

"You came to save her, didn't you?"

 

Bloodshed hesitated at the man's question before nodding.  In truth, he had never met the man, but he had heard Thornstriker tell him of how her grandfather had been a warrior as well.

 

"If that's what you came to do, then do it!  Save her!  Let me die here trying to stop these madmen!"

 

"Grandpa, don't-!" Thornstriker was unable to stop her grandfather from hobbling away from them to face the hostile group approaching them.

 

"I've have more than your lifetime's worth of experience under my belt," he proudly said as he drew out a small carving knife from his belt with his good hand, "I can hold them off long enough to give you time to escape."

 

"S-Sir?"

 

"Go!  Leave me and save them!  Get them out of here!"

 

"Grandpa!"

 

"I won't leave you!" Suddenly, the old woman ran to her husband, grappling his back, "I don't want to leave you!  You promised me we'd die side by side!  I won't leave you!"

 

"I know," he said as he shook, his wife now being the only thing keeping him standing, "You're as stubborn as a mule and you never listen to me."

 

"Please sir!" Thornstriker's grandmother screamed as she turned back to them, "Please save our granddaughter!  Take her and go!"

 

"No!  Grandma!  Grandpa!" Thornstriker suddenly ran up to them, trying to pull them back, "Come with us!  Run!  You'll be killed!"

 

Before Bloodshed could run to try and help her get them to run as well, he stopped.  They were nearly on top of them.  There were at least a dozen armored and strong looking warriors.  He couldn't take them all on.  He would be killed before he could finish off half of them.  Her grandparents would only slow them down a bit.  One sword strike to each.  And they would kill Thornstriker... or most likely rape her like those others had tried to do so before.  And Nebula and Novabomb would die trying to save them.

 

What could he do?  He couldn't save them all!  What could he-?!

 

"Sir!  We've lived our lives already!  Our time has come and gone!"

 

"Please!  Get her out of here!"

 

"NO!  I WON'T LEAVE YOU!  I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO!"

 

"Damn it, if you don't take her now, she'll die!  If you want her to live, leave with her!  Now!"

 

Bloodshed froze for a brief moment.  Try to save them all and mostly likely die with them as well.  Save just Thornstriker and they would live.  At the cost of her grandparent's lives.

 

He couldn't-

 

"Hurry!  Save her!"

 

"Get her out of here!"

 

He finally moved.  Gritting his teeth harder than he ever could, he sprinted to the trio with Nemesis's men about a few houses from them.  He grabbed Thornstriker around the waist and hoisted her up onto his uninjured shoulder.  Leaving only one last anguished look on the older couple, he turned and fled.

 

"NOOOO!  NO!  BLOODSHED!  BLOODSHED, GO BACK!  GRANDMA!  GRANDPA!"

 

He ignored her pleas as he sprinted as hard as he could back to his friends, who were just taking care of the last of the enemies on their end.  They looked as if they were about to run to him when they stopped.  They saw the group behind Bloodshed.  They knew they couldn't do anything either.  With defeated looks on their faces, they also turned and started to run with the others with them.

 

"GRANDMA!  GRANDPA!"

 

Bloodshed thought he could hear the sound of metal hitting against something hard.  The old man... he must have tried to strike at one of them.  And only succeeded at striking the armor.  That knife couldn't do much against that.  A swish of metal and then a sick thud.  It was soon followed by a grunt.  The old lady must have tried to hit the man.  Then another sound of metal swinging through the air.

 

"NNNOOOOOOO!!!  GRANDMA!!! GRANDPA!!!"

 

He felt his throat constrict as he listened to Thornstriker scream in anguish.  That was it.  They were gone.  Two more victims of Nemesis Prime's madness.

 

As he fled the burning village with a hysterical Thornstriker on his shoulder, he couldn't stop the guilt from creeping into his bones.  It was all his fault.  He should have come sooner.  He shouldn't have wasted so much time arguing with Megatron about providing help.  He shouldn't have wasted so much time shocked and frightened by the sight of the burning village and all the dead bodies.  He shouldn't have told Nebula and Novabomb to leave.  He should have just told them to grab the grandparents and run.  He should have stayed behind and fought.

 

But no... no, he ran.  He grabbed Thornstriker and left her old and frail grandparents behind to die.  All because he was weak.  All because he wanted to save Thornstriker in the first place.  All because he loved her.

 

Bloodshed held Thornstriker close to him, her tears running against the skin of his neck as she sobbed into his collarbone.  He killed her grandparents... he had killed them.

 

He couldn't stop his own tears from falling as well.

 

END


End file.
